Ready to get something done at your facility?

LEARN FROM OTHERS If you want to take action at your hospital and you're not sure how to get started, check out The Luminary Project at www.theluminaryproject.org.
There you'll find stories of healthcare workers changing their hospitals for the better. AFT Healthcare is a "beacon" or sponsor for the project.

CREATE CHANGE IN YOUR FACILITY Healthcare workers also can establish a
"green team." Gather a team of nurses, service and maintenance workers, and others who are responsible for handling waste. The team can plan a course of action for its facility.

CONDUCT A WASTE AUDIT Take a good look at everything that comes into your hospital and everything that leaves-in the form of recyclables, red bag waste, food waste, solid waste, laboratory chemicals and pathological waste. Use the audit to identify wasteful practices and come up with a plan to reduce, reuse or recycle waste. Work with the hospital to select reusable rather than disposable products.

KNOW YOUR WORKPLACE RIGHTS Employers must maintain a set of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for chemical products used in your workplace. Each MSDS must list the names of the chemical ingredients in products, the potential health effects associated with exposure to the chemicals, physical hazards, appropriate protective measures like gloves and eye protection, and emergency information.

SOURCES: HEALTH CARE WITHOUT HARM AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP